Reese

ChapterTen

After Hank and Law leave for the night, Blink and Vega head back out to the main area while I go to my own office to call Sugar.

“I agree that this might be the best way to get your foot in the door, but I can’t say I like it. Not when I know we won’t be able to provide backup. What about if we put one of the other girls on the team with you?” Sugar muses as I spin in my chair, my cell phone wedged between my shoulder and ear.

“Each of the girls is badass in their own way, but this kind of fighting isn’t something they’ll be used to, and I don’t have the time to train them.”

“A member of the security team then?”

“At this point, without training, they will just be a liability.”

She sighs, not a happy bunny.

“There is someone who might have the skills. His name is Arlo, and he works for Price Security.”

“Price security? Why does that sound familiar?”

“They made the news with a high-profile stalking case.”

“Ah, I remember now. Wait, do you mean Arlo Jennings? I remember watching him when I was a kid. The man was a beast.”

“Yeah, he quit fighting years back, but—”

“Sugar? I’ve got this. I have almost a full team here who are skilled and fight-ready. Moreover, I trust them to have my back. With this kind of fight, that’s going to be the most important thing right now.”

“Fine. Do your thing, but keep me posted. If something goes wrong, I want you out of there. I won’t risk you, not for anyone.”

“Aw, I love you too, Sug. But I’m a big girl. I know what my limits are. You gotta trust me.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” she grumbles.

“So, how big does this team have to be?”

“Minimum of four, maximum of five.”

“Won’t everyone just have five then?”

“Not necessarily. It’s a psychological move more than anything. The bigger the team, the more you’re admitting that you need the extra help because your team isn’t strong enough with just four.”

“So they are effectively pitting teams against each other before they’ve even stepped foot in the ring? Smart and stupid.”

“Welcome to the world of fighting. Anyway, I have Blink and Vega already, so right now, we’re just looking for a fourth.”

“What about the cop you were talking about?”

“Ex-cop and no. This fight, the final stages at least, will be to the death, Sugar. He might not be a cop anymore, but that doesn’t mean he’s a killer either. He’ll be our information man. I’m hoping that while the crowd is out for blood, he’ll be able to glean some answers from everyone.”

“Do you have anyone else in mind then?”

“Blink and Vega know the locals better than I do now, so I’ll see what they say. Vega did mention having someone in mind, but he wants to talk to them first, feel them out.”

“And let me guess, you’re not going to take a fifth, are you?”

I grin. “You know me so well.”

“I just hope you know what you’re doing. I’ve got to go, but call me when you have something more to go on.”

“You got it.”